This invention relates in general to medical devices for use in cases of urinary incontinence and, more specifically, to a portable catheter adapted for use by females.
Urinary incontinency due to medical or physiological reasons is a problem for a significant number of women. The problem may range from an occasional release of a small amount of urine when the women sneezes, coughs or laughs to total loss of control of the urethral sphincter, as in the case of a paraplegic who has lost all feeling and muscle control below the waist.
In the past, an absorbent pad, such as a sanitary napkin worn against the urethral opening was sufficient for the person suffering only occasional urine release, but not for those who had total loss of sphincter control. For those women, a catheter of the Foley or balloon type had to be nearly continuously worn, extending entirely through the urethra into the bladder. Such a catheter consists basically of a hollow tube having parallel thereto a thin air tube with an expansible, ring-like balloon at the distal end. The catheter would be inserted into the bladder through the urethra, then the balloon would be expanded sufficiently to prevent withdrawal without first deflating the balloon. With this catheter, urine could continuously drain from the bladder, through openings in the distal end of the catheter, then through a drain tube connected to the proximal end of the catheter into a collection bag typically strapped to the user's leg.
While such catheters are successful in draining urine, they present a number of problems. Great care must be used when moving the person using the catheter to prevent accidentally pulling and partially withdrawing the catheter or over-inserting it, which severly limits the mobility of the user. Care and skill must be used in inserting and removing the catheter to assure the proper length is inserted, the balloon is expanded to the proper extent and the balloon is fully deflated prior to removal.
Generally the portion of the catheter extending out of the body must be taped to the skin to keep the catheter in place. This often results in sores or infections at the tape site. Also, urine may leak out along the outside of the catheter resulting in embarrassing odors and stains as the user moves and jostles the catheter since the outside diameter of the catheter must be somewhat smaller than the inside diameter of the urethra to permit the catheter to be pushed entirely through the urethra.
The greatest problem with long-term use of such catheters extending all the way into the bladder is the very serious risk of infection in the bladder and/or urethra. Treatment of such infections is difficult and slow, with many chronic infections. Such infections can be very serious and can lead to death, especially with partially paralyzed women.
Thus, there is a continuing need for improved devices and methods for draining urine from the urethra of women having little or no control of urine release, which can more easily be emplaced and replaced, which permit free movement of ambulatory women and which both reduce the chance of infection and improve the chances of successfully treating any infection that does occur.